Car-coupling



,w.. HARKINS.

Gar fionpling'.

Nor 224,771. Patented Feb. 24, 1880.

INVE TOR i ATTORNEYS;

rLFETERS, PHOTO-LHHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. n.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

, WILLIAM HARKINS, OF DUNKIRK, NEW YORK.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 224,777, dated February24, 1880.

Application filed September 8, 1879. I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM HARKINS, of Dunkirk, in the county ofChautauqua and State of New York, have imented a new and ImprovedOar-Coupler, of which the following is a specification.

Figure 1 represents a transverse section of the device on line 2 2, Fig.2, attached to a freight-car. Fig. 2 is. a side view of the deviceattached to a freight-car. Fig. 3 is asection on line 20 w, Fig. 1. Fig.4 is a view of the bottom of the key. Fig. 5 is an end view of the key.

Similar letters of reference indicate correspondin g parts.

The object ofthis invention is to provide a safe and effective devicefor coupling cars.

The invention consists of a novel construction and arrangement of partsthat are hereinafter fully described.

In the drawings, A represents the end of a car. B is the draw-bar, towhich the drawhead 0 is pivoted by pin a, or otherwise attached but I donot wish to be confined to the use of the draw-bar B as described, asany other draw-bar can be used.

The draw-bar B itself is secured to the car A by a horizontal bar, D,that passes through a slot, 11, in the rear end of saidbar B, and oneither side of this horizontal bar 1), within the slot b, are fixed theelastic cushions c c, to relieve the concussion when the cars arecoupling.

G is the extended arm of the drawhead G, and it (G) has attached to itsouter face a rectangular frame, H, for supporting certain parts of thecoupling mechanism that are hereinafter described. The coupling-key I isheld on this frame H by the clamps or guides h 72/, so that it can movelaterally, and is provided with a series of teeth or a rack, i.

M is a strong flat spring with its free end pressing against the outerend of the key I,

and this spring M may be made to throw the key I forward for coupling;but the use of the spring M may be dispensed with, as also that of thespring-stop S, hereinafter described.

Pivoted on the pin a, or otherwise attached within the draw-head G, isthe coupling-bar N, provided with a horizontal slot, n, of ampledimensions for the easy entrance of a key, I,

and this coupling'bar N may have in its forward end a groove or recess,1), and be provided with a coupling-pin, r,forcoupling with the ordinarylink-coupling, as shown in Fig.2.

When these coupling devices are set in place on opposite ears theircenters will not be directly opposite to each other, but, as is shown,their relative positions will be such that the coupling-bar N of one carwill enter between the couplingbar N and the arm G on the opposite car.

Fixed upon the upper face of the pinion P is a lever, It, that projectshorizontally beyond the periphery of the said pinion P; and fixedhorizontally in the shaft Q are the pins 8 3,

whose engagements with the stop R will hold the pinion P in any desiredposition. This pinion P gears into the rack on the key I and controlsits movements. v

The spring M operates freely only to thrust forward the key I until itsforward end is flush with the inner face of the arm G, for when the keyhas reached that point one of the pins 3 s of the shaft Q engages withthe vertical spring-stop S and prevents the further revolution of pinionP, and consequently prevents the key I from moving forward to becomeanobstruction to an enteringcoupling-bar. When the key I is in thisposition the lever B should be at a right angle, or slightly inclinedtherefrom, from the inner face of the arm G. The stop S is strong enoughto hold the key I in this position unless the lever B is struck by.

an incoming coupling-bar, N but when the lever R is thus struck thespring-stop S yields and releases the pin 5 that may be engaged with it,so that the pinion P is instantly revolved and made to push the key Iinto the slot n of the bar N, and thus couple the cars; but while thecars are coupled the end of the coupling-bar N, it will be seen,continues to press against the end of the lever B, so that the pinion Pcannot be turned back for the purpose of uncoupling. Gonsequentl y, inorder to uncouple the cars, the pinion P must first be lifted out ofgear with the key I, turned around and thrown into gear, and its actionreversed to draw back the key I. The stop W, that engages in the groove00 of the key I, prevents, if the spring M be not in use, the key I frombeing thrown out too far. The pinion P is then again lifted out of gearand on the end A of the car below the draw-head O. The handle of thislever V can be heldin any desired position by engagement in the notchesof the vertical rack W.

Having thus described m y invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. The draw-head O, pivoted to draw-bar B, and havingextension-arm Gr, frame H, rackkey I, pinion P, and spring M, incombination with a coupling-bar, N, having slots '12, as and for thepurpose specified.

2. The combination of the spring-stop S, shaft Q, provided with pins .9s, and stop R, substantially as herein set forth.

3. The V-shaped tongue T, in combination with the arm Gr, substantiallyas herein shown and described.

4:- The combination, With the draw-head 0, having the extended arm G,coupling-bar N, and frame H, of the horizontal rack-key I and pinion P,substantially as herein set forth.

5. The draw-head 0, having extended arm G, frame H, rack-key I, pinionP, and spring M, in combination with the body and drawbar of a car,substantially as described.

6. The draw-head 0, having extended arm G, frame H, rack-key I, pinionP, and spring M, in combination with a coupling-bar, N, as and for thepurpose described.

7. The combination, with the draw-head G, having extended arm Gr, frameH, horizontal rack-key I, and pinion P, of the coupling-bar N, as andfor the purpose described.

WILLIAM HARKINS.

Witnesses:

B. AROHIBALD, F. S. EDWARDS.

